Friday, July 17, 2009

JAIPUR: With just a few days into the beginning of the new session, incidents of ragging have been reported at some of colleges in the city. Two FIRs were lodged with Gandhi Nagar police station on Wednesday, after some juniors were allegedly harassed by seniors at Subodh Collegeand Commerce College.

However, the police and college administration refused to acknowledge the incidents as ragging. The victims said they were harassed by the seniors, and ordered to follow their instructions. On refusing to oblige, the students were beaten up and their clothes torn off by the seniors, it was stated.

According to Gandhi Nagar police, Chetan Singh Chandrawat, who had taken admission in the arts stream in Subodh College, went to attend his classes for the first time. "He had parked his bike at the college parking lot, and stood there for some time, when four-five youths, of which two were from the college, asked him to push off," Chhetarmal, the investigation officer (IO) said.

When Chetan refused to move, they claimed to be his seniors and threatened him with dire consequences. Despite the warning, Chetan did not budge , following which they started beating him, the IO said. Chetan, somehow, managed to escape and lodged an FIR with Gandhi Nagar police. The police have rounded up some students and are interrogating them.

In yet another ragging incident, a 20-year old BBA student was beaten up allegedly by some seniors. According to the police, the victim, Jitendra Yadav, had gone to Commerce College to submit his admission form when some senior students of Maharana Pratap Hostel asked him to leave the queue of students. "When Jitendra refused to comply, they pulled him out of the queue and started beating him, and tore off his clothes," police said.

"Since two constables were on duty nearby, the student was rescued. Additional police force was deployed to maintain law and order. We have registered a case against the two seniors, identified as Mohammad and Surendra," police said.

The police and college administration denied the students were ragged. "I don't know if the incident was of ragging. The fight may be a fall out of the campus politics, which has intensified following the demand for union elections," S S Modi, vice-principal, Commerce College, said. However, one of the victims, Chetan Singh said he was harassed by students who claimed to be his seniors.